Ms. Patti, one of our educators who has been teaching preschool and kindergarten aged children at Moose Hill for 25 years, continues her daily walks around her neighborhood and shares what she sees and a few fun activities and resources for you.
I so enjoy seeing flowers along my walking routes, and whether the beds are perfectly weeded and mulched, wildly cozy, or somewhere in between, I appreciate the work that goes into maintaining flower beds. I have always been a student of botany (trees, wildflowers, and other non-cultivated plants), but I now consider myself an accidental gardener. My first real dig at gardening came with coordinating Moose Hill’s first Native Plant Sale. Not being versed in actually planting/growing anything (other than a failed attempt at potted tomatoes…a squirrel got most of the them), my initial question was, “Remind me again the difference between annual and perennial.” It’s been almost 15 years since then and I now love getting my hands into the soil and dirt under my fingernails. Currently in my flower beds Mayapple is up, a few trilliums have flowers, columbine is just starting to bloom, and lots of greenery is filling in with the hope of more flowers to come. Each spring it’s truly is like seeing old friends after a long absence.
My personal gardening philosophy is to dig a hole, put the plant in, water, and see what happens; I’m definitely in the let-it-grow-wildly-cozy camp. I try to place plants in their ideal growing conditions, but if I have an empty spot and a plant…in it goes. I have discovered that most will grow if placed even remotely close to their preferred conditions (they may not be as robust, but they will grow and thrive). As I enjoy the process of gardening, it is also important for our local pollinators (butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and the like). So, I hope you will find time to get your hands into soil, and if you don’t have space…just appreciate the gardens in your neighborhood.
Celebrate plants! Here’s a few ideas:
Plant anything and watch it grow.
Read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. The final page will let you know how to care for seeds.
Watch a particular tree/flower and track its growth.
Try an underappreciated vegetable.
Support Moose Hill’s Native Plant Sale (being held at the CSA Barn at our farm) and pre-order from our selection of native perennials.
Join Moose Hill’s CSA for 18 weeks of fresh organic produce with options for helping harvest or not.
Let us know about your gardening adventures! Be well and stay safe.